When we reported last fall that Shake Shack was sniffing around the former GAP space at 74 Central St., in Wellesley Square, it was unclear whether the popular fast food chain known for its burgers and shakes would really be shaking up the Square.
But now it looks like a real deal, with Shake Shake submitting its plans to the town for a restaurant that would boast 56 inside seats within a 3,500 sq. ft. space at the intersection of Central, Cross and Church Streets, next to where the big parklet was located last summer.
The former GAP space has been vacant since the end of 2020.
As we’ve seen with other planned restaurants in town, these projects can take a while to come to fruition. But fast food, fast project? We’ll see (we reached out to the project manager and will update this post if we hear back on a projected opening date). The race is on with the planned opening of the Black & Blue Steak and Crab restaurant across the street in the old CVS space.
The 74 Central St., property is managed by Linear Retail, and the Shake Shake restaurant is being designed by Bergmeyer Associates of Boston.
Renderings included with documents submitted to the town give a sense of what the restaurant might look like inside and out, pending Design Review Board approvals.
Linear Retail has divvied up 16,000 sq. ft. space formerly occupied by the GAP with hopes of getting multiple restaurants in there. There had been talk of an outdoor dining area along the sidewalk.
Shake Shack got its start as a hot dog cart in New York City, and established its first kiosk in 2004. There are a few hundred Shake Shacks around the world, including about a dozen in Massachusetts, such as in Boston, Cambridge, Dedham and Chestnut Hill.
Shake Shack burgers sell for between $7 and $12 depending upon how much and what kind of stuff you jam into them. The food establishment also offers chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, and mushroom burgers.
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